Summer to Fall
by literallyliterati
Summary: An alternate version to what happens at the end of Summer continued to the final four words.


**A/N: So I have not written since before the revival premiered. Originally I had wanted to give another chapter of Spring Break before it had and I didn't and ever since I've been in a funk. I hope to get back to it and show my readers what else that story has left. I guess I'm just sad about Rory and Jess of 2016.**

 **In the meantime, this is an AU idea I had from the revival. It starts near the end of Summer. If you haven't watched the revival, stop reading now (or go watch it then read because spoilers might be mentioned)**

Rory wasn't sure what she expected in telling her mom about the book. She sighed as she looked at her computer screen. The cursor blinked at her, mocking her. Beside her was an open notebook, words in her familiar scribbles outlining the first five chapters of her untitled Gilmore project.

She understood Lorelai's point of view. It's not that she didn't. She just didn't understand why her mother, her best friend, didn't understand how much she needed this.

For a while now, Rory had been feeling lost. It wasn't even just her relationship with Paul, how she treated him or even the affair with Logan. They were obviously major factors but it was also her career. Years ago when Rory Gilmore was sixteen she had this drive. A drive to be more, to be brilliant, to read as many books as she could. To travel to Fez. To be Christine Amapour. Where had that gone?

There was no denying the world was journalism was different now than ten years ago as she started her senior year at Yale. The Conde Nast meeting was a bust, SandeeSays was over. She couldn't believe how bad she had failed that interview. Rory just wanted to be herself again.

With a sigh she shut off the computer and stood up. She was the only person left at the Stars Hollow Gazette for the night and she wasn't up to over thinking what happened between her and her mom at the cemetery. They were there for Grandma and Grandpa, why couldn't she just be happy she found something to inspire her again?

Rory locked all the doors behind her and made sure it was secure. As she headed away from the building, she saw lights ahead in the distance. It looked like it was coming from Luke's but he would be home now. Was someone else at Luke's late at night?

Before she could think it through, Rory felt her feet walk towards the diner. The light became more obvious and once she was in front of Taylor's soda shoppe, she saw exactly who was in there.

Her feet moved faster now, excited to see this person. When she reached the door, Rory knocked as loud as she could that she knew he would hear.

It didn't take long for Jess to notice her. A familiar smirk appeared on his face as he looked up to see who it was. He instantly went to open the door.

"Come see a girl after four years and she can't get enough," he teased.

"And I thought I was being so clever," she joked.

Jess moved aside to let her walk in. He threw down the towel he had in his hand. She noticed he must have been cleaning. "What are you doing here?"

"I was leaving the Gazette and on my way home, I saw the light on," she shut the door behind her.

"And you figured the punk might be here?" He wondered, another tease.

"Oh, you know Esther means well," she smiled as she sat down on a stool.

Jess surprised her and instead of going behind the counter, he sat beside her. "I'm sure. You know, she's the one who covered my entrance to Stars Hollow. To say the adjectives were glowing would be very misleading."

"Then I guess you're just gonna have to change her mind, aren't you?" Rory asked.

"Maybe," Jess smirked. "Really, Rory. What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" She asked, knowing exactly what he meant as she shifted uncomfortably.

"You know what I mean," he stared at her.

"I don't," Rory shook her head dumbly. She didn't want to tell him, not Jess of all people.

"Rory," he said in that calming tone. "Come on."

"I'm visiting my mom," she answered. "Saving the Gazette."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Jess countered.

"It's true," she replied. "I'm sorry if it's not the answer you wanna hear."

Now it was Jess who shook his head. "You forget how well I know you. It doesn't matter how much time passes. I know you and I know something's wrong, Rory. Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Rory looked up to his eyes. They were brown and honest. "I can't find a job."

He waited, patient. When she didn't add more, he asked, "At a newspaper?"

"Anywhere," she shrugged. "And the jobs I do get offered, I should be grateful. They're jobs, right? People would kill for these chances and I'm throwing them away."

"I'm sure you're not throwing them away," he argued.

Rory scoffed. "I had this interview for an online magazine and I went in completely unprepared. I had no pitch, no story. I figured I'd get this job just because I'm me."

"It probably wasn't as bad as you think," he told her.

Another scoff escaped her as a lone tear fell. "I don't know who I am anymore, Jess."

She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. Jess was silent, saying nothing as he waited for her to continue.

"When I was a teenager, I had so many ambitions," Rory went on. "I had dreams and goals and I wanted to write for the New York times. When did I become this person?"

He pushed her hair out of her face protectively. "What person?"

"This!" She exclaimed with another sniff. "This spoiled, entitled brat. And that's not even including Paul. I suck, Jess. I'm a shitty person."

"Hey," he grabbed her face between his hands. "You are not a shitty person, all right? So what if you're not who you thought you would be when you were seventeen? So what?"

"So what?" She laughed humorlessly. "You don't get it, Jess."

"I think I get it better than you think," his hands dropped.

They were both silent then, remembering their past and words they heard of each other through the grapevine. Rory never heard of Jess with any girlfriends but she assumed he dated. She knew of Truncheon expanding but not much else. She wondered what he heard of her.

"Who's Paul?" Jess finally wondered out loud.

"He's P," she replied with a small smile.

"The P you're supposed to break up with," he remarked.

"I did," she said. "I broke up with him after you left. It's not fair what I've done to him. I'm so heartless and stupid. Why would anyone even care about me?"

"You know, you remind me of me," he said, surprising her with the turn in conversation.

"How?" She wondered.

"That sounds exactly like me thirteen years ago," he shrugged. "And you know who cares about me? This girl that I was in love with and my uncle."

"You weren't this bad," she said after another small smile.

"I think I was worse," Jess commented with a laugh.

Rory watched him, so carefree and much happier than he had been all those years ago. "Why do you do that? Why do you help me whenever I'm feeling not so great?"

"Because we're friends," he shrugged easily. "And because you seem to be down a lot. Maybe you need to be picked up."

"Shut up," she laughed.

It felt like the first real laugh she'd had in months. Almost as if a weight had been lifted. Jess didn't care about her mistakes. He had made his own and came back from them. That gave her hope for herself. If he could recover, maybe she could too. Maybe her and her mom will be talking again tomorrow as if nothing changed.

Jess stood up. "You want some coffee? Luke won't mind if I make a pot."

She gave him a look. "Did you forget who I am?"

"Never," he said teasingly but the seriousness of his statement hung in the air.

As he loaded up the coffeemaker and turned it on, Rory spoke up. "I started your idea, you know."

"My idea?" He asked.

"The book," she answered. "About me and mom. I sat down and I outlined five chapters worth of material. You would be impressed."

He turned around with a small smile of his own. "Do I get to read this or am I just gonna have to wait for the book signing?"

She blushed at the idea of her book which was only an idea right now being big enough for book signings. "I was actually wondering if maybe you could be my editor."

"Oh," Jess was surprised to say the least.

"Unless you don't want to," she backed up. "Plus it might be weird considering our history and you know, you might be in there eventually. Could be a conflict of interest."

"I didn't say no yet," he replied.

"Yet," she repeated. "Meaning you will."

"I didn't say that," he said again.

"I understand if you don't," Rory explained. "It's probably a huge favor to ask anyway."

"I'm just...not sure if I should," he said.

"Okay," she nodded.

Jess came back by her. He didn't sit. "I'd love to edit your book for you, Rory."

"But?"

"But you're right," he said. "It probably would be a conflict of interest considering our past."

She nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Rory."

"Maybe I should go," she replied and stood up herself.

"Wait a second," he said. "Come back. Let's have coffee."

She hesitated, bit her lip as she thought. The smell of coffee was in the room now and she wanted some. "Okay."

…..

Somehow, an hour later they ended up in the apartment. Rory told Jess about her outlines and what happened at the cemetery. She told him about missing her grandfather and how she wasn't sure how to grieve him. So instead, she didn't and that just caused her more pain because he deserved a grieving.

Jess let her cry on him as she recalled the funeral. She left out how she rushed back to London after, wanting to catch Logan alone before he had company. The disgust in herself as she thought of Logan and what she had done came back. Jess didn't understand and she didn't want to tell him.

Jess told her about moving out of Philly a year ago, how he had done some traveling. It was something he hadn't done since the unmentionable summer of 2003 and be found that now at 32 years old the task was more refreshing. He wasn't that lost kid anymore.

As she listened to Jess talk about who he was and how he found himself, she felt herself in his words. Was this how he felt? Did Luke make her feel as her mom just had? Did she make him feel like that?

The questions plagued, unable to reach the surface. When he finished telling her about his arrival back to this coast, that led him to her office the other day and the vegetable cult newly named "Mom" had joined, she felt ease.

It was she who moved forward first. Jess didn't move away which she took as a sign. When their lips touched, it was like ten years had not passed. It was if she was still that girl that she had been the last time they kissed. She kissed him harder.

To her surprise - and also not to her surprise - Jess didn't pull back. He let Rory kiss him. He let her body crawl over him so she was on top of him on the floor. Neither stopped it, neither said any objections.

Somehow, the kisses got more intense. Rory lifted her arms for Jess to get her shirt off and she pulled his off after. It took her a moment to breathe as she looked at him. He definitely grew up in more ways than one. Their lips met again and the evening progressed.

They never made it to the bed. Not the first time, at least.

…..

In the morning, Rory sat up in Jess' old bed, legs curled to her chest. She looked down at him, the boy she once loved. He wasn't a boy anymore, he was a man. This man deserved better than the mess that she was.

Quickly and quietly, Rory got dressed. As she was about to head out the door, she heard her name.

"You're leaving?" Jess asked.

He knew the answer. She didn't know why he asked. "Yes."

"I thought you might stay," he said. "Have some breakfast."

"I should go," Rory replied.

"Okay," he nodded in understanding even though he didn't understand.

"I'm sorry," she finally said.

"For last night?" He wondered.

Rory bit her lip in hesitation. Jess got his answer. "It's not what you think."

"You regret it," he said as casually as he could.

"You don't want to be involved with me," she explained. "I'm a mess."

"I was a mess once, too," he said.

"I slept with Logan," she blurted.

Jess' eyes went blank but then he surprised her again. He laughed. "Didn't you live with him? I could have figured that you might have."

"No, not then," she shook her head. "Now. The past year. Ever since Grandpa died."

"Oh," his smile faded.

"He's engaged," she continued. "He's engaged and I was sleeping with him."

Jess is silent, unsure what to say. He looked at her, searching. "Oh."

"I told you I'm a mess," she said sadly. "Jess, this, me and you, it was wonderful. It was more than than but you don't want me. Not like this you don't."

"How would you know how I want you?" He asked. "You didn't give me the chance."

She nodded. "I guess that's part of our problem."

With another look, she opened the door and headed out of the diner. She ignored the looks people gave her and went straight home.

…..

Lorelai is doing 'Wild'. The book, not the movie. Rory doesn't remember what else happened in the conversation after her mother tells her she went to hike the Pacific Crest Trail.

….

Jess knows what's going on between Luke and Lorelai. He wanted to see how Rory was doing, knowing her mother is gone and of their fight but considering the way they left things, he doesn't.

…..

One day at the Gazette, Rory gets a message that tells her to "Get ready." When the Life and Death Brigade join together that night in Stars Hollow, Rory allows herself to go with them. They have fun, Colin buys the underground tango club. Logan rents out a b and b but tells her he's still getting married to Odette. Rory politely declined to spend the night with him and gets a cab home.

…..

Rory wrote three chapters of her book. She's anxious for Lorelai to read it, to change her mind. She's anxious for her mom to come home.

….

Jess isn't surprised the day Luke calls and tells him Lorelai came home. He laughed when Luke told him how Lorelai again proposed and set up a wedding. He wondered how Rory is doing since he last saw her walk out the diner apartment door.

….

It's almost Halloween when Rory noticed she didn't get her period. Hesitantly, she scheduled a doctor's appointment and fears the worst.

When she goes in the next day, she's scared and wearing a hospital gown on a crinkly bed. They do tests and the doctor asks her to get dressed. She waits for the phone call with the results.

….

When the results come in, she froze. Rory clutched the phone in her hand as she listened to the doctor confirm she is in fact expecting. It takes her a moment to breathe and she asks how far along she is. The doctor doesn't find this odd. He simply tells her seven weeks.

Seven weeks. It was less than she expected. Rory had not been with Logan in longer than that. She broke it off at the beginning of summer and it definitely wasn't Paul's. That left one person and he certainly wasn't a wookie.

…..

Jess felt weird being back in Lorelai's house. Rory wasn't here so he sank himself into a chair with his book as Luke tried on his tux. He teased him about the tux and Kirk walked in. To Jess' surprise, so did Lorelai...and Rory. He took a breath as he saw her. The first time they'd been in the same room together since that faithful morning.

Rory acted as normal as she could, he could tell. Something was off. He didn't press. Luke made another comment on how his future wife wasn't supposed to be there which confused Rory.

"You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding," Jess comments.

"Are we doing that?" Rory asked.

For a moment, he almost feels like it's his wedding and she's asking if he and her were really doing this. That's the moment where he realized he's still in love with Rory Gilmore.

Lorelai and Rory sneak off with poptarts and he relaxed with his book once again. When Lorelai comes back in, Jess makes the quick decision maybe it's better for him to leave then to stay over as both Luke and Lorelai suggested. He grabs his jacket and duffel and with an air kiss blown by Lorelai truly, he is out the door.

Luke followed him out and asked if Liz had a bed for Jess. Before either said another word, he heard Rory call his name. She walked outside, proudly, with a stack of papers in her hand. At first he's surprised but the smile on her face is infectious no matter what is going on - or not going on - with them.

"Jess, look," Rory says proudly, the papers held up. "The first three chapters."

She grabbed his jacket and jumped happily. Jess found her excitement adorable and against his better judgement, he smiled down at her. When she let go, she rushed back into the house, Luke watching curiously.

"What was that all about?"

"Just a thing between us."

"Between you?"

"A work thing between us," he clarified.

"A work thing?" He asked skeptically. "So you're over that, right?"

"Yep," he repeats. "Long over."

His uncle seemed to accept this answer or at least he pretended to. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait to see if you wear that pocket square or not," he commented and Luke went back inside the house.

Jess is about to leave when he hears laughter. The sound that is so remarkably Rory echoed out of the house and to his ears. He can't help it as he walked towards the window, hoping to see her.

When Rory appears, she placed a cloth on a distraught Kirk's head, so motherly. He watched her for a moment, glad no one else can share this moment. She seemed more confident than she had just weeks ago and he finds himself happy for her. Jess knows he'll always love her and being in love with Rory Gilmore, that fact would have to be enough.

He takes a deep breath and walked away.

….

That night when Luke and Lorelai decide to elope but still have their big wedding the next day, Rory is the one who called Jess. He is obviously asleep but he immediately wakes up when she tells him about the wedding.

Jess gets there as fast as he can. The town is decorated beautifully and he could have sworn he saw Luke driving Rory and Lorelai around in his truck. Emily can't make the wedding, she's still in Nantucket. This is news to Jess but he accepts it. He's happy for his uncle and in term, for Rory's mother.

The wedding is simple. Just the four of them and Reverend Skinner. Luke and Lorelai trade traditional vows and when they play _Reflecting Light_ , Rory smiled with tears in her eyes. She has never looked more beautiful, he thinks to himself.

Jess stepped in front of Rory, hand out. "Come on. Dance with me."

She smiled softly at him and took his hand. "We never danced before."

"I figured I had to fix that," he smiled back and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Rory sighed contently. "I'm sorry, Jess. For what happened. I was stupid and -"

"No," he shook his head. "None of that. Not tonight. Tonight is about your mom and Luke."

"But -"

"Rory," he interrupted. "I noticed something yesterday. Something I think I've been hiding the past ten years. Maybe it was fear, who knows. But it's there nonetheless."

"What's there?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"I'm still in love with you," he said. "I never stopped."

Rory almost feels a rush of relief at his words. Then her stomach dropped as she remembered the news she had to tell him.

"What?" He asked. "It's okay if you don't feel the same back. I'm not telling you to make you owe me anything."

"It's not that," she shook her head. "Jess, I have something to tell you."

"What?" He wondered.

She wasn't sure how to say it. "I feel stupid."

He laughed. "That's what you have to tell me?"

"That's not it," she tried. "Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm pregnant."


End file.
